


True Mimicry

by SerialKillerQueen



Series: Fleshgait [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: (more or less), (sort of), Billy Hargrove Has Powers, Billy Hargrove Redemption, Cannibalism, Canon Rewrite, Character Death Fix, Dysfunctional Relationships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Fleshgait, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Monster!Billy (sort of), Nightmares, Other, Protective Siblings, References to runaway max but doesn't completely follow it, Siblings, Skinwalker, Supernatural Elements, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-08 11:24:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20834675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerialKillerQueen/pseuds/SerialKillerQueen
Summary: I've done some things that I can't speak.Billy Hargrove dies when he's ten years old.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aelmete is pronounced 'A(the letter's name not 'ah')-el-meh-tay.'  
The summary is a lyric from Halsey's 'Haunting' Stranger Things and its characters do not belong to me. All rights go to their respective owners.

Billy Hargrove is ten years old when he runs away from home, his mother's words echoing in his ears.

_"I'm - I'm not - I can't come home Billy."_

He is ten years old when his hurt and confusion leads him into the forest (unaware of the black scaled figure’s hungry eyes watching him).

He is ten years old when the sun goes down and in the darkness he falls and his head slams into a rock.

He is ten years old when he dies.

Aelmete is not sure how old it is when it twitches crawls over to the still warm corpse, only that it is still considered young by its own kind.

Aelmete is not sure how old it is when it sinks its sharp, unrelenting fangs into what _was_ Billy Hargrove's skull.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aelmete’s kind have always lived in the woods.

(“How long is ‘always?’” you ask, reader? They couldn’t tell you, it’s not like they measure it like we do).

They have always lived in small groups, they cannot afford to live in a large one because...

They always starve, always struggle to survive. Their territory continues to shrink as the humans’ continues to grow, the animals that remain are to few for their appetite.

Sometimes they turn on their own, if the kits are too weak then they are consumed.

(The others in Aelmete’s litter were to weak, it consumed them, it made it strong, it caused its sires to let it live, gave it a name as their sires had given them names).

Or other groups, the groups that had more food (still not enough never _enough_) would target the smaller groups.

But they all knew that the humans were different than them, they didn’t have to struggle (or at least not all of them did) to eat, they had food all the time.

(They could not tell you how they knew, it was part of them, the same way the forest was).

And they could _pretend._ It was in their nature, they were _mimics._

But they needed a direct template, some_one_ to copy.

Humans rarely allowed themselves into their forest, some instinct, some _knowing_ driving them away. 

The kit (William Hargrove. Billy), hadn’t listened to that part of himself though.

Aelmete had an opportunity now, it knew his mind, it had consumed him and seen his memories, it had a template. 

Aelmete could pretend, could leave this place, the others could not.

There was only one template.

It left their forest with no hesitation nor thought for the ones still trapped and starving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This AU should explore some of Billy's childhood and then hopefully some of season 2 and 3! It will be less dark than this chapter suggests (probably).  
I hope you enjoy!  
The fleshgaits' functions were strongly inspired by the creepypasta 'Fleshgait' check it out if you love psychological horror!  
https://creepypasta.fandom.com/wiki/Fleshgait


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I'm colder than this home. I'm meaner than my demons. I'm bigger than these bones._

_Its bones cracked, crunched, protruded, and sank back into its skin as scales faded away, replaced with pale skin, green slit pupil eyes turning into a gentle blue, fangs pushed out of its gums, blood dripping onto the ground before blunt teeth re-formed, tail withering away._

_It waited until it was at the border of the forest before it changed forms, some of the others may have mistaken it for a human, or may have simply let hunger dictate their actions now that Aelmete was in a weakened state, especially with the smell of its blood in the air now._

Humans were nothing if not impractical creatures.

Aelmete was quickly learning that fact.

Billy’s sire - no, father, humans used the word ‘father’ or ‘dad’ - was not a smart man.

He had a strong kit, and yet he injured him intentionally, for reasons it could not grasp.

It could lessen a kit’s chances of surviving, of being able to protect the rest of the nest if they were targeted by a larger one. 

Aelmete had seen all of Billy’s memories, and had it not been because of the pain his father inflicted that he had been in its forest to begin with? It _had_ cost him his life.

It had also almost cost Neil Hargrove his hand more than once, or perhaps the entire arm, or perhaps his soft, exposed, _throat._

But it knew that would be impractical of _it_ to end the man’s life. Humans didn’t allow that so easily, and then they would know it, would _turn_ on it. 

So it took hits and didn’t let its fangs or claws out, controlling every instinct it had to fight back, to show it was strong enough to survive, that it was the alpha here. 

(It certainly was when the only other rival was a human).

It eats, it grows stronger, it rests (but still it wakes at the slightest noise, it cannot truly rest when it can’t trust the functioning alpha), it grasps speech (the hits lessen then, when it had first sought out Billy’s father it had refused to speak for some time, it had to learn how to use their tongue to make their words, and it could not risk making a mistake, Neil had not liked its silence), but doesn’t use it if it doesn’t have to.

This is how things continued for four years (humans measured in years, it measured in the birds comings and goings when the forest grew cold, when there would be even less prey, but humans had many reasons to measure time, and many of those reasons it did not understand anymore than it did Neil Hargrove, but it adapted around them).

And then Neil marries a woman named Susan who has a kit called Maxine (“Max,” she corrects).

(Marriage was not as difficult to understand as many other concepts, its kind had mates that stayed as such their entire lives, it was simpler, easier, and took no risk of mating with those they shared blood with and weakening the kits. It did not understand the ceremony though, announcing their claim over one another. What was the point)?

(And it does not understand the point of shaking hands. But it shakes hers nonetheless when told to do so by Neil).

The woman is not strong like Billy was, not strong like her kit is either, Max is perhaps an alpha in her own right.

Aelmete feels fading nest instincts flare, the desire to preserve a promising youngling rising within it for the first time in awhile.

It is a good thing she caused those instincts to surface as opposed to… others. Because that night it smells fear tangling with her scent, already registering before it is even fully awake.

It growls almost imperceptibly, choking it off quickly, it _must_ be careful, and pulls itself out of bed, walking silently into her room.

She is asleep, but she smells of fear, is twitching notably.

Ah, a nightmare.

Humans fear things that aren’t even real, their brains are so odd (little does Aelmete know that soon it will have its own nightmares, a disadvantage of playing pretend for an extended amount of time, right reader?).

It walks closer to her and almost leans down to put its teeth around her neck before jerking backwards.

She would not understand the gesture, may interpret it as a threat, not a means of conveying a need for silence and calm. Aelmete’s sires had done so more than once when it was a kit, when it hadn’t yet understood how dangerous fear and noise could be when your nest wasn’t the biggest.

But humans… don’t work that way, do they?

It turns to leave, after all she is not in danger, there’s nothing here to hunt her for her fear, but… something makes it stop and turn back.

Something about this was familiar, not to it, but in Billy’s memories. He had nightmares often, and his mother had a way of comforting him.

Hesitantly it reaches out and rests a hand in her hair (red, it has not seen hair like this until her and her mother’s) and then runs said hand through it gently.

She begins to calm instantly, and it continues the soothing motion for some time, until her scent returns to its normal state, and it returns to bed.

It lays awake for some time, staring at its hand that is profoundly not its hand and wonders.

Why did it do that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images to help you visualize Aelmete’s true form:  
https://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120619050142/teenwolf/images/thumb/d/da/Abomination_4.png/500px-Abomination_4.png  
The general form is like this, only completely black, green eyes (neon green), and the pupil is thinner.
> 
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/santamonicamtns/12310752076/  
Some of its back has this texture but not coloring.
> 
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/santamonicamtns/11939461576/  
Underbelly is colored like this.
> 
> Ah Aelmete, have you heard the phrase “if you treat someone like a monster they’ll become one”?
> 
> Summary are lyrics from Halsey's 'Control' all rights belong to their respective owners.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _And you’re nothing but skin._

Years pass.

It suffocates under an insufficient alpha, its instincts chafe against its restraint.

It tries to make Max stronger, pushes her and angers her, an alpha will fight back. (But Max is still a human and she suffocates under a brother who unnerves her for reasons she doesn’t truly understand and who frightens her for reasons she does).

It begins to realize its punishing treatment of her is not only its instincts at play.

It believes its treatment of Max may be affected by the hurts Neil never inflicts on her. On a kit that isn’t _his._ Billy was his and yet he does not hesitate.

Aelmete still doesn’t quite know how old it was when it left its forest and put on a human mask. 

But it believes it has been Billy Hargrove longer than it has been Aelmete. 

It believes that it feels things it _wishes_ it had no name for.

It believes being called “Billy” no longer feels quite like wearing a mask.

It… becomes he. 

He ages, it is not automatic, but it is very easy to envision, easier than it would have been once.

He sees humans smoking and tries it, and the voice of instinct telling him it is dangerous to inhale smoke is quieter than it should be.

He buys a lighter. 

He begins to pay attention to what he wears, how his hair looks, cares more about his appearance than simply making sure he still looks human.

He sees girls look at him and encourages it. (Truth be told he has no desire to mate with a human, it could be a risk, and his instincts are quieter but not gone. He could not have children with a human and therefore there is no reason to do so, but there is something... fun, about flirting).

He actually _listens_ to the music that humans insist on playing everywhere, and finds some he enjoys.

He is angry. He is angry that he is Billy Hargrove and will never be Billy Hargrove.

He is angry that Billy Hargrove’s mother left him with Neil.

He is angry that Susan sees a threat to her child and does nothing.

He is angry. And when he sees a boy with Max, a potential mate but not from his nest, he lets his instincts and his anger out, and for the first time since he put on this mask he uses some of the strength he truly possesses and the boy’s arm snaps like a twig in his hands.

Max runs. She tries to go back to her father, and he suffers the worst beating he’s ever been on the receiving end of.

That is manageable though, what is not is the knowledge that they’re going to move.

Away from his forest.

He has never set foot in that place again, he never will.

But it is a part of him, a starving, dark, animal, part of him.

And it will be so far away, so out of reach. _Disconnected._

_He is angry._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary is from Halsey's 'Graveyard.' All rights belong to their respective owners.  
I had most of this typed so I went ahead and uploaded it but the next chapter (or...two chapters, it'll probably be two) will be a bit delayed while I'm resting my arm and house sitting (which means I'll have to type on a phone when I do start writing /groans/). I do have them generally planned out though so no worries!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Well, mother, tell your children, never do what I have done._

He doesn’t like Hawkins, Indiana. 

He doesn’t like it because it’s unfamiliar, he doesn’t like it because Neil has become completely unrelenting since they arrived here, he doesn’t like it because it’s not his territory.

But he especially doesn’t like it because _it’s something else’s territory._ He felt it the minute he set foot here.

There is something here that has a claim on this place, and it didn’t like sharing with anything or anyone.

He doesn’t think it has singled him out, that it knows what he is or views him as particularly threatening. But he knows it’s there, and it increases the already overwhelming sense of wrongness.

He loses control, in little ways, like leaving bruises on Max’s wrist, or pushing Harrington around on the court.

He loses control in big ways, threatening the kids that are apparently hovering around Max, pretending he’s going to run them over.

(Max truly believed he would’ve run them over. He’s led her to believe he’s _that_ cruel and reckless).

He loses control and almost kills Steve Harrington and Lucas Sinclair.

(Why was Harrington with his nest mate - sister. Why was Harrington with his sister and trying to hide her from him? Why?)

He loses control and he’s pretty sure Max was prepared to kill him if she had to (she doesn’t know that she could have, he had no idea how his biology would react to a sedative).

He.

He feels ashamed, feels guilty. (And still suspicious but the sense of wrongness had been so strong that night and he wonders if the being who claimed this place was involved? And he hadn’t seen it, hadn’t let himself see it).

He can’t ignore the fact that he’s more human than not these days, and he can’t ignore that he’s begun to understand their sense of right and wrong (he doesn’t know if it’s truly right or wrong or who or what could say, but it is his adopted species’ morality and he does understand it).

He knows what he did was wrong, that his instincts viewing Harrington as a rival and Sinclair as an intruder were wrong. Humans don’t work that way. They didn’t intend harm, he doesn’t think that anymore.

He knows Max finds him confusing and unnerving and frightening (does she know more? Does the primal part of her brain, so similar to his own, register a predator in her house?)

If he’s human now (in some ways, in the ones that _matter_) than he can apologize to his - his sister, he can try.

Can’t he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie, I planned on this chapter being longer and more thoroughly examining his mental state in season 2, I hate that I feel like I rushed this, but my muse is getting very very flighty and I needed to get it put out before I couldn't. (Honestly for someone with my attention span issues the amount of time I've kept it on ST is impressive but nothing lasts forever).  
I hope you enjoy nonetheless!
> 
> Summary is from 'House of the Rising Sun' cover by Five Finger Death Punch, all rights go to their respective owners.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _When intuition fails you, I will spit, exhale you._
> 
> _We are one in the same, you take all of the pain away._

Looking back he will blame his muffled instincts for this.

He should’ve felt how intense the being who has claimed Hawkins’ presence was, he should’ve known that on this lonely night he was driving right towards it.

But he didn’t.

When something slams into the window of his car and drives him off the road his first reaction is anger.

That lasts a matter of seconds before his primal brain starts _screeching_ at him.

It’s here.

Suddenly _something_ wraps around his ankle and he loses his footing as he’s dragged into the rundown building.

It stinks horribly of decay, of rotting flesh and blood. 

He doesn’t know why it took him but he knows nothing good is going to come from this.

It’s only the fact that the being apparently didn’t know what he is that saves him, (at least as far as he can tell).

It falters, and he can sense surprise from it. Uncertainty. He believes it thought it grabbed a human and is now realizing it hadn’t, surprising it missed that but he can also smell desperation, affecting its judgement perhaps.

For the first time in so long he _changes._

His human skin lays in bloody pieces on the floor, his claws click together, his fangs are bared. 

He swipes at the flesh strands that move toward him and rotting blood splatters on the dusty floor.

It won’t be enough, he knows its strength, he feels it in his bones, and he runs.

He darts back up the stairs, already shifting back into the form that now feels as natural as the one he was born in, and into his car, and _away_ from that place.

He doesn’t relax until he’s almost back at his house (funny, usually being there has him so tense his spine feels like it could snap). 

It’s a good thing Neil’s out of town, given how late he is.

Apparently Max doesn’t feel the same because she comes wandering out of her room in her pajamas, she looks and smells anxious.

He’s late but not late enough for her to be this concerned… unless she had a reason to think there was something dangerous around.

He thinks he needs to talk to her about this strange town.

(They do, and she tells him the secrets that aren’t exactly hers but that she keeps nonetheless. He doesn’t tell her his, he’s too afraid).

When Aelmete left his forest he never imagined he’d end up here.

In a burning mall, fighting a giant being made of the dead flesh of many people.

He had been helping Harrington and… his coworker? (He’s not entirely sure how she got involved if he’s honest), throw fireworks at it, up until he saw Heather (and felt a twinge of sympathy for her seeing the state she was in, she’d always treated him like just another person, not an object or a freak) dragging the girl (El, Max’s friend, the girl whose mind can reach out like his own, who strongly suspects or even knows what he is) towards it.

And Max is behind them, she’d _followed them_ but is hesitating at the door.

He can’t let this happen, to either of those children.

He runs down the stairs without thinking, animal instincts and human emotions both in perfect sync with the thought that he needs to _protect._

A tendril is moving steadily towards El (she’s ignoring it, saying something to Heather, her hand laying on her cheek) and he grabs it.

He doesn’t change, at least not completely, but he knows his eyes are glowing, knows scales have crept across one arm and part of his face.

He hears it snarl angrily and something dig into his side, pure agony lancing through him. And he is sure he’s going to die here until another, smaller, set of hands join his.

Heather, no more black veins and with clear eyes, is holding it back.

The creature snarls again and draws back another tendril when suddenly it just.

Stops.

It goes completely limp and hits the ground.

He manages to quickly shift his eyes and skin fully back to his human hide, but as he turns to go check on Max he sees how intense her stare is. Shifting between El and Heather and him, she’s worried about them but there’s something else in the way she’s looking at him, like she’s trying to figure something out. Or maybe like she already did.

By the time they’ve all dragged themselves out of the mall Max has taken his weight, helping him stay upright despite the wound on his side, she’s not asking anything, only telling him to let her help. Heather is trailing behind but El asks Wheeler (the younger one who’s helping her walk on her injured ankle) to let Heather take her other arm and support her weight as well.

He’s not sure what happened between them that brought Heather back to herself but evidently it created some form of bond.

The rest of the night would be mostly unremarkable were it not for Chief Hopper, Joyce Byers, someone called Murray and… a Russian man with curly hair? Showing up. They have them to thank for closing the gate before he and Heather died.

That’s not the truly remarkable thing though.

What is truly remarkable is the Russian smells like him, like his nest, like his forest. 

_He’s like him._

The man appears to be having the same realization as he looks at him, surprise and curiosity and… happiness, on his face.

He’s not the only one who escaped that starving place and he wants to know. He wants to know how this one found this template, how he got out, how long it’s been.

And he will, but right now he needs some medical attention and to get his sister home.

He’s settled on his bed, allowing some of his actual healing ability to ease his injury when there’s a knock on the door, Max.

She comes in and just… looks, for a few long moments. 

Right as he opens his mouth to say something she walks across the room and climbs into his bed beside him and tucks herself against his side.

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

When Aelmete left his forest he never imagined he’d end up here, with a sister and her strange friends.

But Billy is glad he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it guys! My muse decided to stop being a dill pickle and work with me!  
I did not plan Heather getting her hero moment and living at all, it happened as I was writing this.  
Alexei being a fleshgait and surviving? That crap was planned from so ridiculously early on.  
First line of the summary is from 'Into the Mind' by Miracle of Sound.  
Second line of the summary is from 'Demons' by Starset.  
(I don't actually think the mall had stairs there but we're ignoring that).


End file.
